The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s hidden tools can transform how you use it

From batch photo editing and PDF tools to app-specific routines and network storage, Samsung’s foldable offers a wealth of useful features beyond its headline multitasking tricks.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is designed to do far more than most owners will ever find on their own. Beyond the obvious split-screen tricks and fold-aware layouts, the device hides a wider set of tools across Good Lock, Samsung’s core apps and the Labs menu. Samsung’s own guidance also notes that some of these features depend on software level, with several requiring One UI 9 on Android 17, while availability can vary by model and region.

One of the strongest examples is Gallery Assistant, a Good Lock module that turns Samsung Gallery into a more capable batch-editing tool. According to hands-on coverage from Android Authority and 9to5Google, it can compare photographs side by side, shrink large sets of images or videos, and bundle selected files into PDFs. That makes it easier to sort through near-identical shots, prepare documents for sharing and reduce storage use without opening each file individually. Samsung’s support pages also back the broader idea of using experimental features in Labs, including per-app zoom controls that let users fit more content into the Fold’s inner display.

There are also several small but meaningful interface changes that make daily use easier. Samsung Keyboard’s one-handed mode can shift the layout towards one side of the cover screen, while Keys Cafe lets users reshape the keyboard itself. In Gallery, the Labs menu can restore a more familiar video seek bar and add date divisions inside albums, which is useful for large camera rolls. One Hand Operation+ and Sound Assistant, both part of Good Lock, extend the phone’s controls further, allowing custom gestures for volume and a metronome-style tool to help correct audio delay with Bluetooth headphones.

Samsung’s routines system adds another layer of automation for foldable use. The phone can be set to use a longer timeout when fully opened, then revert when closed. It can also toggle auto-rotate for selected apps, which is helpful when some programmes behave better in a fixed orientation and others need rotation only on the inner screen. Samsung’s support documentation for foldables confirms the company’s focus on continuity between displays, pop-up windows and split-screen use, although it also cautions that compatibility differs from app to app.

File handling is another area where the Fold 8 can be made more practical. Samsung Notes can bookmark specific PDF pages, My Files can compress selected items into a ZIP archive and can also connect to network storage, including shared folders on a computer or NAS, according to Samsung’s support material. Samsung Browser supports gesture-based tab switching and bulk image downloads from a webpage, while Nice Shot can silence notifications automatically during screen recording. For owners willing to explore beyond the default settings, the result is a phone that becomes noticeably more efficient and much easier to tailor to individual habits.